Somerset County's push to add solar panels is largest coordinated effort in N.J.

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerMarco Abrantes of Vanguard Energy installs protective padding under a rack array that will hold solar panels on the roof of the Irene E. Feldkirchner Elementary School. The solar project is part of a larger initiative by Somerset County to have 65 public sites generating solar power in the next few years.

SOMERSET COUNTY — Somerset County is on track to become a solar powerhouse by adding to an existing network of solar panels that is already being called the largest coordinated effort in the state.

The freeholders have approved a $52 million bond ordinance that will finance the construction of solar panels on 35 more county, municipal and school properties throughout Somerset County. Work is already being done to construct panels on 31 public sites.

The aggressive push has made Somerset County a standout in the state’s solar power race, according to state Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset), an advocate for solar energy. Two other counties in northern and central New Jersey — Morris and Union counties — have similar widespread efforts, the assemblyman said.

But with 7.6 megawatts of power to be generated from the first round alone, the Somerset County effort appears to loom large over its counterparts.

Morris County’s project comes in second at about 3.5 megawatts, while Union County’s is 3.2 megawatts.

"Other counties are seeing how these turn out," Chivukula said. "The key is to make the business model work for them."

Morris County was the first of the trio to hire a company to build solar panels on public properties and sites owned by organizations. Last year, officials there began a program that is projected to cut Morris County energy bills by at least 35 percent over the next 15 years. Morris County is making plans to add more to the network of solar panels.

Union County, meanwhile, is pursuing a similar project that will put solar panels on 46 buildings across more than half of the county’s towns.

In Somerset County, the solar panels are expected to save local towns more than $1 million annually for the next 15 years.

Branchburg-based Vanguard Energy Partners is building the first group of solar arrays in the southern part of the county, a job fueled by a $55 million bond the county issued last year.

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerElectricians install conduit on a set of inverters behind the Irene E. Feldkirchner Elementary School that will convert the power from a new solar array on the roof before going into the main grid. Large amounts of snow on the roof have delayed the installation of the array over the last month. The solar project is part of a larger initiative by Somerset County to have 65 public sites generating solar power in the next few years.

The project is expected to cost about $40 million.

Freeholder Director Robert Zaborowski said the deal worked for everyone involved. The county acts as a facilitator by putting up the start-up money, which Zaborowski said will be paid back by Vanguard through state and federal solar power incentives.

The towns in the program, meanwhile, are able to see lower energy bills without spending money on the panels, and Vanguard can benefit from tax credits, state-backed incentives and the county’s AAA bond rating.

"This wasn’t just about going green," Zaborowski said. "All that’s very positive, but it has to make economic sense."

That project will be completed by the end of the year.

The next wave of solar arrays will dot the northern part of Somerset County, focusing on towns such as Bernards Township, Warren Township and North Plainfield, Zaborowski said. The bid process for a builder is expected to take place in the next few months.